Sarah Welch

Dennaleia has been training all her life to leave her home in Havemont, marry Prince Thandilimon and become Queen of Mynaria. So when she arrives in her new home and her fire Affinity—a forbidden magical power she’s kept hidden for years—grows unwieldy, she fears the life she’s trained for is about to be ripped out from under her. What’s more, shortly after her arrival in Mynaria, an assassination attempt on the King leaves the kingdom in shock. When Dennaleia joins forces with her betrothed’s sister, Mare, to find the culprit, the friendship becomes something more than she’d bargained for, and she begins to question whether the life she’s always envisioned is the life she wants after all.

Audrey Colthurst’s debut novel, Of Fire and Stars, is a captivating story that follows the young royals as they grapple with the roles they’ve been assigned and their true passions. Dennaleia and Mare are a compelling pair—both whip smart in their own ways, with complementary talents and plenty to teach one another. Supporting characters, from palace guards to Dennaleia’s fiancé, are complex and relatable, and grow over the course of the novel.

If Colthurst’s world is a bit underdeveloped—the rules of both physics and magic are sometimes unclear—she makes up for it in sharp prose and characters whose spirit, tenacity and deep humanity drive the story from beginning to end. 

Libby Strout is no longer “America’s fattest teen,” but her biggest fear in returning to school for the first time since fifth grade is that her classmates won’t look past her weight. Nonetheless, she’s ready to leave the house where she’s been grieving her mother’s death, and embrace everything high school has to offer. Meanwhile, Jack Masselin’s devil-may-care attitude may seem effortless, but nobody knows how hard he has to work, because nobody knows about his face blindness—how, even among his closest friends, he feels as though he’s surrounded by strangers. That is, until a vicious prank lands Jack and Libby in the same counseling group, and they’re forced to see beyond each other’s masks.

Jennifer Niven’s Holding Up the Universe is another bright place for fans of her bestselling YA debut, All the Bright Places. Niven once again introduces two protagonists who, at first glance, have little reason to cross paths, but who are uniquely positioned to help each other repair their broken pieces. These characters may be facing extreme circumstances, but their conflicting emotions will be utterly relatable to teen readers. 

Niven treats her protagonists with admirable respect, tackling the issues that seem so big in high school with prose that dances on the line between seriousness and whimsy. Holding Up the Universe is a perfect fall read to inspire readers to embrace the new school year.

This article was originally published in the October 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Wylie and Cassie have been drifting apart for a while, and their last fight was especially bad. But when Wylie receives a frantic text from her friend, she barely hesitates to jump to her rescue. But as Wylie follows Cassie’s cryptic directions further and further into the New England woods, it becomes clear that both girls are in more trouble than either of them could have imagined.

The Outliers is the debut young adult novel from Edgar nominee Kimberly McCreight (Reconstructing Amelia), and her knack for suspense will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page. Though the plot begins to feel a bit far-fetched toward the end, every twist and turn on Wylie’s quest to find Cassie only serves to raise the stakes and heighten the very real sense of danger The Outliers evokes.

That danger feels even more immediate thanks to McCreight’s brilliant protagonist. Wylie is agoraphobic, anxious, weirdly in tune with other people’s emotions and struggling to gain footing in life. But she’s also sharp and driven, and in many ways, the traits that make her unique also make her vividly relatable.

The Outliers is a gripping read—sometimes flat-out scary—and an exciting start to a new YA mystery/thriller series. 

When his father died five years ago, Parker Santé lost his ability to speak. He’s not that interested in talking to anyone, anyway. Instead, he spends most days loitering in hotel lobbies, picking the occasional pocket and filling journals with stories—until one afternoon at the Palace Hotel, when he steals a wad of cash from a silver-haired girl who claims to be 246 years old. When mysterious Zelda catches him in the act and offers to strike a deal, Parker begins to see that there might be some things in life worth paying attention to.

Tommy Wallach offers a sweet coming-of-age novel about a young man learning to overcome loss. Presented as a comically long college application essay, Parker’s narrative is brash and appropriately childish, yet attentive and at times profound. Though the framing device is a bit far-fetched, and Zelda leans a bit too far toward Manic Pixie Dream Girl, there’s a lot to love about the poignant, lighthearted Thanks for the Trouble.

This article was originally published in the March 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Parker Grant has it all under control. She’s earned herself upwards of 100 gold stars—one for each day she hasn’t cried since her father’s death. She’s got the high-school scene down pat—so much so that she holds daily office hours for anyone seeking social advice. And even though she’s blind, she’s perfectly capable of taking solo morning runs.

Just don’t ask her about Scott Kilpatrick. Because if you do, she might very well lose it altogether.

Eric Lindstom’s debut novel, Not If I See You First, is a striking exploration of friendships, first loves and all the ups and downs that come with them. Parker’s blindness adds a layer of depth to her character, but while it’s certainly fully rendered, it’s by no means her defining characteristic. Her “come at me” bravado and her sassy back-and-forth with her friends are all as true to life as the deep-seated vulnerability hiding underneath. While most readers won’t relate to Parker’s physical disability, they will find they recognize plenty of her in themselves.

In fact, the protagonist and her crew are all in the throes of discovering who they are, and accepting those discoveries, but at the same time, they're the type of mature, fiercely loyal friends we’d all kill to have in any phase of life.

Not If I See You First tackles all the anxiety, joy and self-evaluation of high school in a way that will ring true to both older readers and those who are still in the midst of it.